Work With Youth Employment UK

Who are Youth Employment UK?

Youth Employment UK, a non-profit organisation founded in 2012, is the leading youth organisation dedicated to tackling youth unemployment in the UK. It brings together young people, employers and policy in an innovative way that creates real impact and makes it it’s business to understand the barriers and challenges facing young people on their journey to work. That insight is used to support young people and those around them, including educators, employers, and policymakers.

Youth Employment UK is actively tackling youth unemployment by:

1. Giving young people a voice on the youth employment issues that affect them
2. Supporting young people with the skills and career support they need to progress
3. Supporting employers to develop and be recognised for their youth-friendly employment practice
4. Connecting young people to Youth Friendly Employers
5. Providing expert insight across all youth employment policy areas

Who do Youth Employment UK work with?

Young People

For young people, Youth Employment UK provides the largest platform of free skills and career resources in the UK supporting 14–24-year-olds. The skills and careers hub contains careers inspiration, skills development, opportunities, peer-to-peer content, Youth Friendly Employers, and information for young people on a range of topics including mental health, finances, and employability support. A database of career guides helps young people decide what skills and qualifications will help them, how to build skills and experience, and how to get into the world of work.

Employers

For employers, Youth Employment UK supports them to become youth-friendly and be recognised for their good youth employment practice through Membership. Employers can hold profiles on the Youth Employment UK website which aim to bring organisations to life for young people aged 14-24 to attract a brilliant, future work force in an informative, engaging way. The content created with employers such as case studies, workbooks or opportunities inspire both those looking for work right now and those younger audiences exploring career possibilities for their futures. Youth Employment UK helps great brands build their profile and recruit from its extensive pool of talented, diverse young professionals who are at the heart of everything it does.

Teachers, Work Coaches and Providers

Youth Employment UK provide FREE ongoing support including:

• Monthly news and information including updates from Youth Employment UK, partners, and government policy
• Support to embed the Young Professional Programme to help young people develop their skills, knowledge, and confidence for the world of work
• Network with peers to share insights and best practice
• CPD opportunities
• Free teaching resources such as lesson plans

Young Professional Training

Young Professional Training was designed with and for young people. They can find skills support from experts and Youth Ambassadors, fantastic opportunities from Youth Friendly Employers and organisations, and they can share their voice to help shape UK policy on youth unemployment.

There are currently 2 Young Professional Training courses for young people:

• The Preparing for your Future programme is ideal for 14–16-year-olds who are exploring their options for the future. It includes 5 courses to explore career confidence and options, studies and training, life skills, work experience, and networking.
• The Journey to Work programme is ideal for 17+ year olds and young people closer to the world of work. It includes 8 courses to explore making goals for the future, training, work experience and volunteering, life skills and what to expect when stepping into the world of work.

Youth Employment UK provides a Work Experience programme for Key Stage 4 and 5 learners to further explore careers they may be interested in and the skills they will need for the future. It is delighted to have teamed up with McDonald’s to provide a module specific to this employer and what they are looking for in their employees.

There are also 2 new programmes specifically for apprenticeships! Young people in apprenticeships or people considering apprenticeships can explore more about their future with this career path.

Policy and Research

Youth Employment UK is the secretariat for the APPG (All Party Parliamentary Group) for Youth Employment. The APPG promotes youth employment in all its forms and the role of young people within the economy to ensure young people’s voices are heard and to highlight the need for quality opportunities. It leads meetings and inquiries that cover a range of youth employment topics such as the impact of defunding vocational qualifications and employer support. The Youth Employment UK website also includes reports on events throughout the year that have an effect on youth employment such as the impact of government budgets, minimum and living wage rates and disability in the workplace.

The Youth Voice Census

The Youth Voice Census exists to share the views and experiences of young people aged 14 – 24 across the UK. Youth Employment UK asks young people to open up about their experiences in education, employment, when looking for work, and where they live. In this most recent year we have asked what the impact of COVID-19 has been for them; in 2021 over 3,400 young people shared their voice. This report allows Youth Employment UK to take stock of where young people are, what is working for them, what isn’t working, what they might have missed out on and what they want to see more of.